THIEF POWDER TO CATCH ROBBERS

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6812, 16 January 1929, Page 9

THIEF POWDER TO CATCH ROBBERS

A simple invention, probably destined to be useful in thief catching, has been used by Detective-sergeant Wells, of the London police. It is a thief powder, by the aid of which repeated robberies of a locked cupboard used to hold the pocket money of scholars in an English girls’ school were traced to a porter employed in the building. Says Dr. E. E. Free’s “Week’s Science’’ (New York) : “Money had been missed repeatedly fiom this cupboard. Finally, the police were called in. Sergeant Wells sprinkled over the paper money left in the cupboard somo of his potent powder ;nlmost invisible under ordinary conditions, but capable of turning blue and virtually indelible whenever touched by anything moist. The porter, who had possessed himself improperly of keys to the money cupboard, proceeded to help himself to some of the powder-sprinkled money, as he had taken other money before. Upon the new theft being discovered, Sergeant Wells demanded that tho porter show his hands, when the tell-tale marks were found printed indelibly on the skin of his hands and fingers, having been brought out by the perspiration. A confession was obtained and the thief was sent to prison. A chemical composition of the thief powder is said be known to chemists and police officers elsewhere, so that much thievery may be traced generally by this modern improvement on the old-fash-ioned plan of examining'the children’s fingers to sec which one of tho family has been at the jam.’’